BUFORD, Ga. — A lucky someone woke up, became a millionaire and made Georgia history Thursday morning.
The ticket was sold in Buford for $478.2 million. The winning numbers were 2, 15, 27, 29 and 39, with a red "Powerball" number of 20. The "Power Play" multiplier was 2x.
The only time a winning amount was close to this number was in 2013 when a Mega Millions winner split a $648 million prize with a California winner.
Georgia Lottery officials also noted that, to the best of their knowledge, there have been no previous Power Ball jackpot winners in the state since it started in Georgia back in 2010.
11Alive's Karys Belger spoke with the owner of the Quickmart where the winning ticket was sold.
“I was hoping all the time somebody would win from here because we have a lot of regular customers who always buy their tickets here,” Thakkar said. “It’s amazing to think that one of them has won this huge amount.”
Thursday's lucky winner has yet to come forward; residents are buzzing with anticipation, wondering who among them has struck it rich.
While speculation about the winner’s identity continues, local residents have already started dreaming about what they would do with the life-changing sum. Jessica Mallard, a Buford realtor who lives just five minutes from the Quickmart, joked that her first move would be to hand out her business card.
“I’m a realtor, so if anyone is looking to buy their million-dollar dream home, they know where to find me,” Mallard said with a laugh.
